In a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, several countries implemented lockdown procedures to varying degrees. This article sought to examine the extent to which country-level strictness, as measured by the Government Response Stringency Index (2020), moderated the relationship between certain cultural dimensions and estimates of national innovation. Data on 84 countries were collated for Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (2015), and from the Global Innovation Index (2020). Owing to the robust relationships between innovation and the dimensions of uncertainty avoidance, power distance, and individualism, these were used in moderation analyses. In general, power distance was inversely related to innovation, whereas individualism was directly related to it. Results indicated that collectivist and high power distance countries showed lower innovation, irrespective of levels of government stringency as a response to COVID-19. On the other hand, among individualistic and low power distance countries, lower innovation was associated with increased stringency (e.g., blanket restrictions on movement). Higher innovation was observed when such countries had a less severe government response. The dimension of uncertainty avoidance was not significantly associated with innovation at the country level. The implications of lockdowns on general innovation, its inputs, and outputs are discussed in the context of cultural dimensions and country-level policies.
Given the high transmission rates of the COVID-19 virus, policies aim at the maximal adoption of preventative health behaviours (PHBs) such as mask-wearing and maintaining physical distance. Moral emotions, risk perception, and message frames have previously been shown to foster favourable PHBs during various pandemics. To investigate the factors associated with PHBs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the present study explored the predictive role of moral emotions and message frames on PHBs (reduced physical contact and COVID-19 related policy support), controlling for risk perception regarding wearing a mask. Thus, a 2 (target of the message: self vs others) x 2 (valence: negative vs positive) between-groups experiment was conducted amongst Indians. Negative moral emotions predicted both (reduced) physical contact and policy support, and positive moral emotions predicted policy support. Exposure to differently framed health messages did not predict PHBs. The present study contributes to the field of health communication by highlighting the need for culture-specific practices such as focusing on the affective aspects of such communication. The results are increasingly relevant owing to the continuance of the COVID-19 crisis in India, and suggest that eliciting moral emotions throughCOVID-19 communication may significantly improve compliance with PHBs.
Pokémon GO is a 2016 augmented reality (AR) video game requiring players to move around in the real world and catch Pokémon to complete their collection. Examining different gameplay styles and user psychology in AR games can provide important insights for gameplay design. As multiple self- and other-beneficial strategies can be used to advance in the game, the present study investigated personality and behavioral correlates of four kinds of gameplay: independent, social-dependent, active, and invested. A multinational sample of urrent Pokémon GO players was recruited (N = 516, Mage = 28.83 years, SD = 9.25) and responded to measures of bright and dark personality traits, as well as a questionnaire on Pokémon GO gameplay behaviors. Results indicated that older players and those with multiple accounts were more likely to engage in most forms of gameplay; further, women were less likely to be active players. Among personality traits, psychopathy was a strong predictor of independent, social-dependent, and invested gameplay; agreeableness explained social-dependent strategies in line with social exchange theory; conscientiousness was associated with being a regular player; and fairness contributed to spending more money on the game (invested gameplay). Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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